alluraDirect.com Press Release Archive

alluraDirect has been providing vacation rentals by owner since 1997, but only recently have we adopted the press release as a method of spreading the word.

So the times, they are a changin'. Be sure to come back and visit to stay in touch as we add new features to our website and expand into exciting new ski resorts.

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MARCH 2009

03/26/09 - Whistler 2010 - Abundant Olympics Accommodations, Parking and Mountain Access (read press release)

MARCH 2007

03/19/07 - Whistler 2010 Lodging - The Secret Accommodation Stash Revealed (read press release)

NOVEMBER 2006

11/23/06 - alluraDirect.com Launches 3 Innovative Upgrades To Their Vacation Rentals Search Engine (read press release)

OCTOBER 2006

10/16/06 - alluraDirect.com Vacation Rentals Search Engine Expands Into 6 New Canadian Resorts: Fernie, Silver Star, Kicking Horse, Red Mountain, Panorama, and Mont Tremblant. (read press release)

Whistler 2010 – Abundant Olympics Accommodations, Parking and Mountain Access

Vancouver, BC March 26, 2009 –Whistler 2010 Olympics accommodation inventory is growing daily as the 2010 Games approach. Guests booking Olympics accommodation will be able to drive into and park at the resort. Over 90% of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains will be fully accessible to skier and snowboarders.

“Whistler BC is the destination skier/snowboarder place to be February 12-28, 2010” suggests Sue Chappel, CEO of alluraDirect.com Vacation Rentals, Whistler’s largest vacation rental rentals by owner web site. “Visitors will experience maximum Whistler feelgood, vibe and energy, without lift lines or crowding on the slopes. Most people will be at the event venues themselves, leaving Whistler Blackcomb’s vast, record-breaking terrain free and clear for skiers and snowboarders to enjoy.”

Whistler 2010 accommodation is abundant and available. The myth that Whistler will experience an accommodation shortage for the Olympics may be attributed to the fact that the direct by owner vacation rental market is typically over-looked by the media. Direct by owner vacation rentals make up anywhere from 10 – 15% of Whistler’s nightly rental accommodation.

Many private vacation rental homeowners delayed advertising 2010 rental availability pending decisions concerning personal during this once in a lifetime event. Many owners were also researching fair market rates. Now that the 2010 Games are less than one year away, most vacation rental homeowners are ready to book 2010 Olympics rentals. At press release time, over 150 vacation rentals on alluraDirect.com are available for 2010 Olympics dates. An additional 200 vacation homes are expected to become available during the coming weeks and months.

alluraDirect.com is Whistler's biggest privately managed Whistler accommodationprovider. The site showcases over 520 independently managed, top-located Whistler vacation homes, available for rent directly from their owners or small local rental managers.

The website profiles each individual property in great detail. Travelers can see the exact property they will actually stay in, before they book it instantly online. Since bookings are direct with owners, travelers skip costly middle agent fees, and the 10% hotel tax for most vacation homes. In contrast with other by owner vacation rental directories, all vacation rentals listed on alluraDirect.com are ownership-verified and operate under trustworthy and accountable guarantees and standards.

Travelers with booked accommodation and therefore private reserved parking spaces will be able to drive into the resort and park at their lodging. Most vacation rental properties include or provide access to a parking space, which is the golden ticket for driving into the resort during the Olympics. In contrast, access and public parking for day-trippers will be restricted, unless they are on a tour bus.

Those wanting to hit the slopes will have full access to over 90% of Whistler Blackcomb’s vast terrain. Every lift, except for the Creekside Gondola, will be open for guest use. Whistler Blackcomb Resort has also guaranteed that lift ticket pricing will remain the same next year (2009/2010) as it is this year (2008/2009).

Whistler 2010 Lodging – The Secret Accommodation Stash Revealed!

Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) March 19, 2007 – Will there be a Whistler lodging shortage for the 2010 Games?

When the Olympic bid was originally accepted, organizers guaranteed 1,786 Whistler hotel rooms 752 condos for officials, sponsors and media, with 1,611 new rooms in development. John Furlong, Vancouver 2010 CEO, now believes there are more people than originally anticipated that need to be housed in Whistler.

A variety of solutions have been considered to make up for the shortage, such as housing hundreds of international reporters in trailers and schools, and mooring a cruise ship in the nearby town of Squamish. Whistler officials are also struggling how to allow residential homeowners to rent rooms in 2010 without shoving the resort's 10,000 employees out in the cold.

One relatively large Whistler accommodationalternative has been underrepresented in the media and to the public. This alternative is Tourist Accommodation (TA)-zoned Whistler condos that are rented directly by homeowners or very small, locally based rental companies.

This segment represents 10% of Whistler's total accommodation supply. Some estimates peg it at 15% or more. Since journalists confine their interviews to traditional rental management companies and Whistler’s “official” tourism leaders, this large Whistler accommodation block remains a hidden opportunity for anyone coming to Whistler for the 2010 Games.

AlluraDirect.com is Whistler's biggest privately managed Whistler lodging provider. Their site profiles over 520 independently managed, top-located Whistler vacation homes, available for rent directly from their owners or small local rental managers.

Nearly all rental homes on the site will be available for consumers to rent directly for the 2010 Games.

AlluraDirect.com profiles each unique property in detail. Consumers can see the exact property they will actually sleep in, before they book it instantly online. Travellers bypass costly middle agent fees, as well as the 10% hotel tax for most featured homes.

AlluraDirect.com’s owners are currently in the process of pinpointing 2010 rates, but over the next 12 months, an increasing number of these properties will be available for 2010 Olympic dates to any guests who wants to rent them.

We encourage those who are dreaming of Whistler in 2010 to consider the extensive private rental alternatives found on sites like AlluraDirect.com.

AlluraDirect.com Launches 3 Innovative Upgrades To Their Vacation Rentals Search Engine

Further refining their industry-leading vacation rentals search engine, AlluraDirect.com launches new features: faster search results, embedded property photos, and an intuitive breakdown of property information to better match properties with guests.

Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) Nov 23, 2006 – AlluraDirect.com, the Internet’s hippest website for ski resort vacation rentals, has upgraded their industry-leading search engine to include robust and intuitive new features. Visitors can look forward to faster search results, embedded property photos, and a breakdown of property information that will enable guests to find their desired accommodation, quickly and easily.

AlluraDirect.com is no stranger to innovation. This controversial, commission-free vacation rentals website has connected travelers with independent vacation property owners and small accommodation suppliers for over 9 years, providing a fun and easy online alternative to large reservation portals.

The first new feature, faster search results, takes place “under the hood” of AlluraDirect.com’s search interface. Tighter code and a souped up processing algorithm has resulted quicker property search results, allowing guests to view and compare more accommodation options in less time.

The second feature is a more visual improvement. “In all ski vacations, guests are most concerned with finding the type of accommodation that is affordable and fits their needs,” says Andrew Rankin, a lead website developer at AlluraDirect.com. “Property photos are very important for producing a visual connection to the ski resort and the experiences the guest will have during their stay.” For this reason, AlluraDirect.com now includes a property photo directly in the search results, allowing guests to visually narrow down on which properties to explore further.

The last major feature upgrade to AlluraDirect.com’s vacation rentals search engine involves a more intuitive approach to property information display. In a stunning display of mental intuition, another column “Nightly Rate Per Person” divides the cost of the property among all the potential guests and is prominently displayed in the results. This feature largely evolved to combat the tactics of other accommodation providers that advertise unbelievably low nightly rates to entice guests – who discover later these rates are per-person, rather than per room.

AlluraDirect.com’s CEO Sue Chappel says, “We believe guests can benefit from studying both rates, on a per-room and a per-person basis. The difference is we don’t make guests hunt through the fine print to discover the true cost of their ski resort accommodation.”

With these three innovative upgrades: faster results, embedded property photos, and an improved visual presentation of property information, AlluraDirect.com further solidifies their vacation rentals search engine as the most effective tool for guests to find, compare, and book ski resort accommodation that fits their needs. Plus, it makes vacation planning a whole lot more fun.

What do they credit for their ability to discern and develop the most intuitive online software for owners and guests to succeed online? Simple: many of the AlluraDirect.com team are property owners themselves.

“We’ve developed our vacation rental website to meet the real needs of guests looking to book their accommodation, and owners trying to rent their property,” says Sue Chappel. “Yet the market and technology are always changing. That’s why we’re constantly examining ways to improve our online search, so our guests can explore all their options and make an informed decision.”

AlluraDirect.com Vacation Rentals Search Engine Expands Into 6 New Canadian Resorts: Fernie, Silver Star, Kicking Horse, Red Mountain, Panorama, and Mont Tremblant.

Following their stunning success in Whistler, Big White, and Sun Peaks resorts, the independent vacation rentals search engine website AlluraDirect.com has expanded across Canada into 6 new destinations.

Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) Oct 16, 2006 – AlluraDirect.com, the Internet’s funkiest and most horribly dense website for ski resort vacation rentals, has expanded their empire right across Canada. Their serviced destinations now include Whistler, Sun Peaks, Big White, Fernie, Silver Star, Red Mountain, Kicking Horse and Panorama British Columbia. In an even bolder business initiative, they have blasted outside their BC borders and have infiltrated Ski Magazine’s #1 rated Eastern North American ski resort, Mont Tremblant in Quebec.

AlluraDirect.com is a controversial, commission-free vacation rentals search engine that connects travelers with independent vacation property owners and small accommodation suppliers through an easy time-saving online alternative to large reservation portals. It enables guests to search and find what they want within minutes and book instantly online. The site helps travelers and renters have more fun, save more money through the elimination of middle agent booking portals and enjoy more independence and freedom in booking their rentals.

AlluraDirect.com also offers extensive marketing, proprietary web-based software, consulting and customer support services to accommodation suppliers for an all-inclusive annual fee. Consequently, reservation intermediaries and their fees are mercilessly ripped out of the lodging supply chain, allowing consumers and accommodation suppliers to keep more of their money.

“It’s exciting to serve more mountain communities with our grassroots service. The biggest thrill is bringing more freedom, independence and opportunity to local communities and businesses, their respective property homeowners and destination visitors” says CEO and AlluraDirect.com founder Sue Chappel.

Ms. Chappel created the site in 1997 in response to financial difficulties with maintaining her own Whistler resort vacation home. In the beginning, Ms. Chappel confesses that things didn’t always work out. AlluraDirect.com began with a few static pages with non-existent search features and no instant online bookings. “Marketing meant tacking posters up at the local grocery store. And property photos were photocopied and sent by snail mail.”

Over the last 9 years and extensive product development, experimentation, failures and ultimate successes, AlluraDirect.com has become one of the largest self-catering accommodation providers in Whistler, Big White and Sun Peaks BC. With over 500 listings in Whistler alone, AlluraDirect.com’s Whistler group of small independent accommodation suppliers are now the top-ranked resort’s largest vacation rental group. Not surprisingly, traditional rental companies have tried their utmost to run AlluraDirect.com off the mountain.

AlluraDirect.com also lays claim to being the only owner-direct and small supplier direct lodging site in the world with instantly confirmed online bookings. “This feature was the hardest to convince current clients to support, but has become a major reason for their subsequent and superior reservation volume,” says Ms. Chappel. The time and money saved with AlluraDirect.com’s online as well as the ease of corresponding with guests and transacting reservation payments are the biggest reasons owners have joined.

Yet AlluraDirect.com isn’t for everyone. The site asks property listing clients to sign a comprehensive accountability agreement to protect guests booking their properties and other listing account holders from negative experiences and bad word of mouth. Standards are kept even higher by offering live customer support for site users and owners until 11 pm, 7 days per week.

“We’re committed to building each destination by helping owners cut down on administration time and get more bookings. We also hope to foster more entrepreneurial opportunities for local community residents to service our property owner clients and their guests,” comments Kim Ayers, Owner Relations Consultant at AlluraDirect.com. This is just one way locally based guest and property services businesses get free exposure on AlluraDirect.com’s high-traffic web site.